Mayor Says Infrastructural Damage in St. James is Moderate

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, says infrastructural damage sustained in the parish from hurricane Beryl is moderate.

Addressing the St. James Municipal Corporation monthly meeting on Thursday (July 11), he said that “compared to what we observed and what was reported from the other Municipalities, we are relatively in a good condition”.

He added that there was no flooding in the downtown areas and adjoining divisions; however, there was flooding of the ball ground in the Maroon Town area.

The Mayor said flooding was not due to the drains being clogged, noting that the Municipal Corporation mobilised funding for the drain-cleaning exercise “prior to the touchdown of the hurricane”.

The Municipality recorded and cleared a total of six landslides; however, residents were not significantly affected.

“There are also reports of damaged houses. We recorded 51 cases, but the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is currently on the ground still gathering information to provide a more comprehensive assessment for further assistance and support,” the Mayor said.

“Fallen trees were a common issue across the parish. However, with teams strategically placed across the 17 divisions we were able to clear up to 90 per cent of parochial roadways up to Wednesday (July 10). The team continues to work diligently to clear the remaining roadways within the next 10 days,” he added.

The Mayor said they would be going into the communities, as “we are not just going to clear the remaining roadways, but we are going to remove the debris and the bulky waste from the space”.